Originally Posted by
FarHorizon
It may also become a requirement for people who have excessive tickets or drinking problems, since their drivers' licenses will be suspended.
My understanding is that this is not currently legal. I believe all self driving cars are required to have a legal driver in the drivers seat to take over in case of failure. In effect, you have auto-pilot but are responsible to be there to ensure it is operating correctly.
Regarding the idea of a human shaped cutout, that is an interesting thought. If it was placed in the road ahead of time, I expect the car would just stop in front of it. If someone shoved a stroller in front of the car as it drove past then there would be a certain spot where a collision is unavoidable. The best choice would be max braking while driving straight because this maximises tire traction available for braking and does the most to reduce the severity of the collision. Whatever the car does, surely the onboard cameras associated with a self driving car would have a record that would be valuable in court later.
Originally Posted by
unterhausen
If a motorist is forced off the road by a large truck and wrecks, the large truck is not at fault in our system unless there is a collision.
Ummm, if someone is forced off the road and
wrecks, isn't that a collision? Whether a truck or not, if someone forces another motorist off the road they are responsible for any damages caused. Even if there are no damages and a cop witnesses it, the person doing the forcing could (should) be charged with failure to yield.